DocWard

I got to reading this, and decided it was time for an update.

I was born and raised in Ohio. Both of my parents are from S.E. Kentucky, so I spent lots of time growing up and as a young adult there, roaming the hills, camping and shooting. Genealogists and DNA have me of Scots-Irish ancestry with a bit of Scandinavian and German / Dutch apparently thrown into the mix. DNA also seems to suggest a higher than average bit of Neanderthal as well. Most of my paternal ancestors seem to have come over from Ulster Ireland in the 1760's or so, along with at least one Dutchman and maybe an Englishman or two. According to a couple of genealogies I have went over, I had direct ancestors fighting in Lord Dunmore's War, the Revolution and the War of 1812. I had ancestors on both sides of the Civil War, with a few more heading South, it seems.

I'm married to my college sweetheart, and 2025 will see thirty-five years since she inexplicably said "I Do." Let me tell you, I am glad she did. We have two daughters, both far more intelligent than I am. No, I'm not kidding about that one.

I went to college at Ohio Wesleyan University (Go Bishops!) and was in a fraternity, Beta Theta Pi. I also shot on the club trap and skeet team, along with a couple of my fraternity brothers, and we did fairly well. We even went to Nationals in Peoria.

I have a J.D. from the University of Dayton (OK, go Flyers!). I have spent most of the first seventeen years or so after graduating employed as an assistant prosecutor. Well, aside from 2008, which I spent deployed. Now, I maintain a private practice as a Guardian ad Litem. I am now happily working as a County Veteran Service Officer for my county's Veteran Services Office, and could not be more pleased. My bar license is on inactive status, but I don't foresee becoming active again anytime soon, if ever.

While in college I joined the Army Reserve, where I was first trained as a medical lab specialist. I was activated for Desert Storm (On my wedding day), and spent the duration in San Antonio at Ft. Sam Houston waiting to deploy to S.W. Asia. On the bright side, Iraq did not take Texas while I was there. Some call it a coincidence. After my med lab unit got RIF'ed, I transferred to the support company of a Reserve Special Forces unit. I had high hopes until we were also victims of the RIF. After finishing up law school, I joined the National Guard, with the intention of becoming a JAG Officer. The opportunity to become a 91B (later 91W then 68W), combat medic, came up and I went that route and never really looked back. I'm proud to have earned the nickname "Doc." I spent the vast majority of my time holding down that position in the Field Artillery. I deployed to SW Asia in support of OIF/OEF with the 1/134 FA as part of the 37th IBCT in 2008. As of 2012 I had my "twenty" and have finally put away my boots.

I have numerous hobbies, including shooting (Life Member, Amateur Trapshooting Association), martial arts (Black Belt in Kenpo), model building and playing guitar (I'm not very good at it). I am enjoying this whole cowboy action shooting thing, and I might actually do OK if I could get out to shoot more often!